Nostalgia and minimalism, these are Paul Kalkbrenner’s cornerstones for this album that follows his 2015 release, 7, his first album for a major label (Sony). Up to that point, the German star had tried to stay in full control of his own destiny with his label Paul Kalkbrenner Music, created after the astounding success of Sky and Sand, the soundtrack for the film Berlin Calling that starred the DJ. With that said, the Bavarian artist likes to be in control of his business and doesn’t seem to have become tied into the system. He proved it in 2016 by releasing Back to the Future as a free download, a trilogy of mix-tapes in which he dug deep into memories of dance tracks from the late 80s and early 90s.
With Parts Of Life, Kalkbrenner draws on influences from the same period, a time in which everything was yet to be invented, when the simplest things seemed magical because of how new their sound was. The fifteen tracks of the album clearly edge towards the early 90s, with for instance Part five that flirts with euro-dance, Part thirteen and its house/trance beat, or the happy house of Part three. The German DJ relies on his trademarks here and there, like the languid male choir/hypnotic melody combo in Part twelve, the dreamlike electro-pop reminiscent of Sky and Sand in Part fourteen, or the single Part six, which is bound to play on radio waves all summer long. And while we would have loved to hear more variations in tracks that are often much too calibrated, we have to admit Paul Kalkbrenner has retained his terrific effectiveness.
